Digging White Hall

The first weekend during the fall months is set aside for some digging around a historic site. It’s tabbed ‘Archaeology Days’ at White Hall in Madison County. White Hall was the home to Cassius Marcellus Clay, a major general in the Union Army, an ambassador to Russia, and a friend to Abe Lincoln. The archaeological digs there are coordinated by Jon Endonino with Eastern Kentucky University.

“Engage the public in archaeology. Because you see it on T.V. but you might not really have a sense of what it’s like in person. So, this is an opportunity for the public to come, see archaeology and if they want to participate, they can volunteer and get involved with us,” said Endonino.

Endonino says his curiosity was spiked after getting a call from a local club.

“The Garden Club found some artifacts. That prompted an email to the department, and then, I got interested and learned that we know virtually nothing about the archaeology at White Hall, despite the fact that it was the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay and is state historic site,” explained Endonino.

The public is invited to help with some digging at the site, which is just off Interstate-75. Endonino says the digs could uncover artifacts for the state and assess the potential for future archaeological digs at White Hall. The first digging is planned Friday and Saturday from nine until three p.m. Children under 12 must be accompanies by a parent.